QSR1867/3/5/14

Depositions of William Farmer, upholsterer of Luton. Emily Day, wife of James, manufacturer of Luton. William Scales, blocker of Luton. Joseph Wiles, blocker of Luton. George Smith, Inspector of Police of Luton. In the case of Alexander Shortland accused of stealing 17 yards of oil cloth, the value of 11s 4d.

3 June 1867

From: 1867 To: 1867

William Farmer: an upholsterer of Bute Street in Luton. On 20 May he went to the house of James Day in Taylor Street, Luton and saw some oilcloth there. He told Mrs Day that the oilcloth had come from his shop and asked where she had it from. Day said she had bought it from Scales, a man who worked for them. On 28 May he called again and enquired about it and Mrs Day again said she had bought it from Scales. He measured it. There was about 12 yards. He informed the police and Inspector Smith brought it to him to compare it with some in the shop. It corresponded exactly. He had not sold any of it to Mrs Day. The value of the cloth was about 8s. He had lost 17 yards for it and that would be 11s 4d. The prisoner had not been at work for him but he had seen him before. He had not missed the cloth until he saw it at Mrs Day’s and afterward found the piece to be gone. Emily Day: wife of James Day, of Taylor Street, Luton. She remembered Mr Farmer coming to the house in May and he saw some oilcloth there and said he believed it to come from his shop. He asked her where she had it from and she replied William Scales in Duke Street. Scales sold her the oilcloth 7 or 8 week before and the first piece was about 7 yards and it had not been enough so she bought 5 yards more. She had given 9 shillings for it. It was not in 4 pieces. She had cut it herself to fit her room. She gave it up to Inspector Smith. William Scales: he was a blocker living at no.1 Duke Street, Luton. He had been standing by the bottom of Duke Street on Thursday 7 March and the prisoner came up to him and asked him if he would buy a piece of [?]. He looked at it and found it was oil cloth and there was 17 yards for it. He asked where the prisoner had it from and the prisoner replied he bought it from a man in the Hitchin Road and had given 8 shillings for it. The prisoner asked if he had seen a caravan around and when he replied yes, the prisoner said he believed the man had seen it drop from the caravan. He gave 10 shillings for it. He told the prisoner he would keep it a week and see if anyone made any enquiries about it and would pay him then. He sold 12 yards to Mrs Day and the other 5 yards to a hawker that was going to Aylesbury. Joseph Wiles: he was a blocker living at no.7 Gaitskell Terrace and he knew the prisoner well as he used to work for him. The prisoner had been working for him on 23 May. He heard something about oilcloth being stolen. He had been stiffening some hats and the prisoner had to him in the back of the house. He spoke to the prisoner about it and said surely he had not been foolish enough to steal it. The prisoner said it had come from Bute Street about 3 months ago as he came out of prison. The prisoner said it came from an upholsterers in Bute Street between 7pm and 8pm and he had sold it to Scales for 10 shillings. He warned the prisoner he was in trouble if he was found out about it and the prisoner replied he did not care if they sent him for trial as he would get off and say he found it in the street. The prisoner said he expected the police to be after him but he would not run away. Inspector George Smith: he took the prisoner into custody on 31 May and charged him with stealing the oilcloth. The prisoner said he had sold the oil cloth to Scales but had bought it from a man with a brush van for 8 shillings along the Hitchin Road. He received the oilcloth from Mrs Day and Mr Farmer identified it. He found it corresponded with more in Mr Farmer’s shop. Statement of the accused: he had nothing to say except he had bought it.

item

Shortland, Alexander,
Farmer, William,
Day, Emily,
Day, Richard,
Scales, William,
Wiles, Joseph,
Smith, George

LUTON, Luton Bute Street, stealing, cloth, upholsterer, blocker, manufacturer